Owning a BMW E46 3 Series]
Alex Wainwright, Northamptonshire
‘It’s been in the family since new – firstly it was my grandfather-in-law’s, then my father-in-law’s, and for the last three years it’s been mine,’ says Alex Wainwright of his rare 330Cd coupé. ‘It’s a very unusual specification – the 330Cd was rare to start with, and this had every M Sport option ticked when it was new, including a very rare Williams-bmw F1 paint shade. ‘It’s difficult to get hold of genuine M Sport parts from any source other than BMW nowadays, and they can be very expensive. The connectors for the door mirrors, for example, corrode, taking the mirrors’ folding and dipping functions with them. I’ve been looking for replacements for two years – I refuse to pay BMW £280 for one! ‘Other than that though, they’re really easy to live with. I’ve taken it on holiday to Wales and enjoyed some great driving roads. It’s quick, rather than fast against the clock, but brisk enough to get you into trouble, especially because they’re very tyre-sensitive. I’ve always kept it on Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ss.’
Phil Bell, editor
‘I bought my 2002 325Ci Sport in 2015 – I wanted something that would cope with 24,000 miles a year without bankrupting me, would take a couple of mountain bikes on the roof yet was fun to drive. It’s scored brilliantly on all counts, never letting me down in the 95,000 miles I’ve covered and always making me smile when I wring out that M54 straight-six to 6000rpm, or lean on the sport suspension on a twisty road. ‘It was a two-owner, 67k-mile car with full BMW and then specialist history when I bought it, and I’ve kept that up with TWG ever since. In that time I’ve spent £6543 in total on servicing and wear and tear items (£3670), tyres (£1220) and repairs (£1614). The oil service interval is 15,000 miles, but I’ve always done additional changes myself at half that for peace of mind. Similarly the supposedly lifelong transmission oils – I have them done every 70k miles. ‘Parts availability from BMW is excellent and at very reasonable prices, even down to interior items. ‘Cosmetically, it’s stood up well – inside and out – with just the first signs of rust bubbling through one front wing where the wheelarch liner rubs the paint and traps water. ‘A quirk of the lower, stiffer Sport suspension and wide tyres is that they’re incredibly sensitive to tracking adjustment. Many tyre fitters seem incapable of getting it right, resulting in wildly squirrely steering on bumpy roads.’
Sponsored by Carole Nash insurance]
Peter Mcilvenny of specialist classic car insurer Carole Nash says, ‘The E46 is certainly on its way to becoming a classic, and with a wide selection of body styles there’s bound to be one for you. Values are still relatively low for a marque as highly respected as BMW with lowend examples from £1000 to around £15k for a mint convertible. Prices are likely to see a strong increase over the next 10 years and look a great investment that will give you plenty of fun along the way. But, as if often the case with premium brands, only cars that are in the best of shape with full service history will see true gains in this period. So, if you’re buying one now, buy the best you can afford and keep on top of the service history.’
Classic car insurance quotes: 0333 005 7541 or carolenash.com